Such a clutch, described in French published patent application FR 2 073 829A, allows the radial dimensions of the assembly, and thus its inertia, to be reduced while still permitting a large torque to be transmitted. That document describes an embodiment with two clutch plates connected together at a fixed axial spacing by means of spacers, with a damper plate disposed axially between the two clutch plates, and a friction disc which is mounted so as to be axially movable with respect to one of the clutch plates, by virtue of openings formed in the damper plate with the spacers extending through these openings, while the other disc is fixed with respect to the other clutch plate.
The clutch plates are part of a first part of the clutch, mounted rotatably with respect to a second part of the clutch with which it is coaxial. This second part includes the damper plate, and the rotational movement between the two parts takes place against the action of circumferentially acting resilient means. Coupling means are provided between the movable friction disc and the clutch plate concerned.
More precisely, the said friction disc includes a support which is movably mounted on guide and coupling pins carried by the spacers outside the zone which is delimited by the clutch plates.
Such an arrangement is relatively wasteful of space in the axial direction. It also gives rise to problems of storage and also of assembly, due to the fact that the friction disc can become detached.